India Justice Report: Himachal Prisons Dept ranks second among small states

In a significant achievement, the Department of Prisons & Correctional Services, Himachal Pradesh, has been ranked number two among small states in the India Justice Report (IJR) 2025. The report is a comprehensive and data driven assessment of the justice delivery system across the country.

Published by a consortium of reputed organisations, including DAKSH, CHRI, Common Cause and TISS-Prayas, the IJR assesses the states across four key pillars — Police, Judiciary, Prisons and Legal Aid — with a separate category for small states having population under one crore. The rankings are based on verified government data over a five-year period and include metrics such as infrastructure, human resources, budget allocation, workload management and diversity.

“Himachal Pradesh’s standout performance came in the Prisons pillar, reflecting a robust and structured approach to prison administration, especially in terms of staffing, infrastructure development and rehabilitation programmes,” said Director General, Prison and Correctional Services, Sanjeev Ranjan Ojha.

He said key highlights of the Department of Prisons and Correctional Services performance included overall second rank among small states in justice delivery, strong performance in the Prisons pillar, highlighting efficient management and low occupancy rates compared to national averages, notable improvements in staffing of prisons cadre post and attention to prison welfare, in the lines with the Model Prison Manual and continued focus on health services, video conferencing facilities and legal aid access in prisons.

“The report praises Himachal Pradesh for showing sustained improvement across several indicators, compared to previous editions of the IJR, particularly in the post-Covid period where many states have struggled to maintain reform momentum,” said the DG.